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DENVER — Centaurus High School in Lafayette was evacuated Monday morning due to concerns over a suspicious bag, police said.

Police blew up the object around 12:30 p.m.

The evacuation was completed shortly before 9:30 a.m. About 45 minutes later, a Boulder Valley School District spokesperson said all students were sent home because of the time issues involved with continuing to shuffle kids at a 1,000-student school.

In a email to parents, the school district said a “suspicious package was discovered this morning,” on school grounds. “Lafayette police were contacted and all students and staff were evacuated from the school site east to Centaur Village Drive.”

“For safety reasons and because of the time it will take police to deal with this incident, the decision was made to dismiss school today,” the email said.

South Boulder Road was closed between Centaur Village Drive and Edessa Drive while officials were investigating. Bomb specialists were also called on scene.

A Lafayette Police spokesperson said school administrators initially locked down the school when the suspicious bag was discovered before evacuating students.

The school parking lot is part of the evacuation, so students were not able to pickup their cars.

Students who are not able to walk home are walking to Ryan Elementary School at 1405 Centaur Village Drive in Lafayette to hold in place until their families can make arrangements to pick them up, said district spokesman Briggs Gamblin. CHS bus students were taken home from Ryan Elementary.